


Let's Stay Here for a While

by Elysifer



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Christmas Fluff, Drinking & Talking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Feelings Realization, Sibling Incest, getting to know your sister turns into falling in love with her oh no
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 22:40:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28364808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elysifer/pseuds/Elysifer
Summary: Anna is sent by her parents to stay with her sister Elsa, whom she hasn't seen in five years. This leads to awkward tiptoeing, turning scars into olive branches, and new/old feelings...?-"I think the wine has finally gotten to you," Elsa teases, pointing to the empty wine bottle and numerous glasses littering the side table. "Maybe we should cut you off."Anna gasps like that would mean the end of the world, and maybe it really would, because she truly feels like right now the world just boils down to the dazed, lazy look in Elsa's eyes. It sets her on fire; makes her act stupid, more stupid.
Relationships: Anna/Elsa (Disney)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 73





	Let's Stay Here for a While

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dont_Tell_Them_Its_Me](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dont_Tell_Them_Its_Me/gifts).



> This is for my giftee, dont-tell-them-its-me, and it has already been posted on the tumblr: elsanna-secret-santa on the 25th (although this version has a bit more editing).
> 
> I immediately knew what I wanted to do for this fic and although it turned out much larger than I planned, I had a great time going with it. 
> 
> Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

_Promise me you'll try, sunflower._

Those are the words that sink heavily into the bottom of Anna's belly now. The same words that are ringing in her ears and making her heart ache with something she's ignored for years. She traces over the letters on the screen of her phone in the sunset glow, a manicured fingernail looping around the _'s'_ in sunflower, her mother's name above the text message.

Anna exhales as she leans against the car headrest, breath leaving her lips in cool wisps. She tries to bury the doubt that rises up inside her every time she thinks about what that promise entails; what her parents begged of her, what the next month will bring. Her thoughts race and out of a thousand what-if scenarios there's not one that leads her to the happy ending.

Dear God, where's that prince charming when you need him?

Anna shuts her phone off, unable to read her mother's text message for another time, and pockets it into her cream Chanel bag. She purposely doesn't think of how many miles away her parents are, how many miles _less_ Elsa is, now. She doesn't— _won't_ think about intruding upon Elsa's self-inflicted isolation and how she'll probably hate Anna for that even though their parents basically forced them to do this and— _!_

Wow, is it hot in here or is it just her? The collar of her Burberry coat feels a lot more constricting than she remembers. Using one hand to pop open the buttons, she rolls down the car window with the other and accidentally breathes in a lungful of snowflakes. Ice cold spikes lodge themselves in Anna's throat and she coughs heavily into her elbow to rid herself of the feeling.

"Are you all right, Miss Anna?" The chauffeur, _Elsa's_ chauffeur, asks from the driver's seat, not once looking at her through the rearview mirror.

He's stiff and business-like, keeping his responses to Anna's questions short, but polite. It made an awkward hours long car ride, Anna eventually giving up on attempts at conversation.

"Sorry! Just fine, thank you," Anna replies, flushing up to her ears while hurriedly rolling up the car window. She doesn't feel inclined to get a blast of cold wind again. "Um, actually, can I ask how long until we arrive?"

"Not long now. Approximately fifteen minutes."

Anna's stomach drops right down to her feet. She looks out the window again and sees nothing but endless snow covered trees and the occasional deer. She's forgotten how bare the journey to their winter house is. Of course she wouldn't find any landmarks to help her determine how long she has left.

_We're not in Kansas anymore._

She cracks a smile at her own joke despite the anxiety-induced nausea she feels. She tilts her head up, wishing to everything that she was back at her family's lakeside mansion sipping sweet tea. Not… riding in the back of a Mercedes Benz, on her way to spend an entire month in the home of her childhood with no one but Elsa to keep her company. The thought is enough to bring back that feeling of dread and maybe a bit of those confusing butterflies she hides away.

Anna fiddles with anything she can get her hands on to avoid focusing on her looming reality. She snaps her pocket mirror open and checks her makeup, eyes flitting across her face to catch any signs of possible imperfections.

Elsa never has any imperfections. Definitely not, with her basically dripping in success and everything. She's never faltered once, never second guessed herself, never made an error in her decisions. She had taken over their father's family business in the blink of an eye and never stopped to look back at all she was leaving behind.

Anna shuts the pocket mirror and tosses it into her bag.

Five years later and the hurt still feels fresh.

Two rapid knocks against the side door startle Anna out of her thoughts, wide-eye blinking when Elsa's chauffeur opens the door and extends his hand out to her. She hesitates for a second, allowing herself a moment to sit in her own anxiety and the outside chill, before gathering herself and pushing forward. Just like how she remembers father teaching Elsa way back. She takes a breath, takes the offered hand, and leaves the safety of the car.

_Promise me you'll try, sunflower._ And by God she is.

The moment she steps out of the car her breath and all the bravery she built up escapes her. She takes in everything with her eyes, noticing the old, large stone walls that line the property, the dark green hedges framing the courtyard, and of course, the beautiful white mansion she'd called hers once upon a time.

She especially notices Elsa's lack of presence.

"Where's Elsa?"

The trunk door slams shut and Elsa's chauffeur comes up beside Anna with her luggage hefted in his arms. She doesn't have the heart to offer her help right now, not with the way her chest feels like a hollow cavity. Elsa wasn't at the airport, wasn't waiting in the car, and wasn't at the door to their house.

"Ms. Arendelle is waiting inside. She regrets being unable to greet you but she—"

"Is busy, I know," Anna says, cutting him off. She doesn't mean to be rude, she's just hurt by Elsa's absence. Hasn't it been long enough already? Is she that unimportant to her?

Anna follows Elsa's chauffeur up the stairs leading to the mansion, shaking off old feelings all the way. Her hand grips the icy railing, remembering all the times she used to slide down it towards Elsa, who was waiting at the bottom with her arms spread wide. Their mother had always scolded them when she found them barely dressed and covered in snow, but their grandmother had laughed and told them stories about their mother doing the same. Elsa had a hard time believing it, but Anna hadn't hesitated to bring up that piece of information time and time again.

When they reach the top, Elsa's chauffeur sets down her luggage to open the beautiful ornate main doors, and steps to the side.

Everything is white, ice, and cold, like Anna remembers. The chill piercing through her thin gloves and nipping at her fingertips. With every click of her heels against the marble floors she steps deeper into the place of her childhood and sees memories; the women in paintings she used to pretend were friends, the large mirrors that took her to worlds unlike her own, the hundreds of fake ice crystal flowers that Elsa used to place behind Anna's ears when she got upset. Now, they sit in vases all around the interior and Anna doesn't want to touch.

She's lost in her thoughts as she makes her way to her favourite mirror in the foyer, grand and delicate, with little fairies etched into the heavy wood. Anna stares at her reflection and eyes the red flush in her cheeks and the beginnings of dark circles, the lighting in the house bringing out things she'd missed before. She adjusts the skirt of her dress and smooths out the wrinkles in her coat.

Just as she's reaching up to tuck flyaways into her cloche hat, she spots Elsa descending down the main spiral staircase through the mirror's reflection, and her breath leaves her all at once.

"Anna." She sounds, and looks, beautifully distant.

Elsa is all ice, blending in seamlessly with the delicate elegance of the house, looking almost as if she were a part of it. Every step of Elsa's dark kitten heels brings Anna closer and closer to that cliff's edge; the butterflies can't help but come back in full force. She's as gorgeous as the last time Anna saw her, dressed in all white now, as opposed to the black suit she wore before. Her signature hair is pulled up into a tight bun. She wears the business look well.

"H-hey," Anna responds lamely, a little too late. "It's been awhile."

Elsa stops in front of her and Anna's sure she's about to combust into flames. Suddenly, the room is way too hot.

"Technically it's only been a year."

"Well," Anna says, "I mean, the last time was at a funeral and we didn't even get the chance to talk so…" Her awkward laugh bounces off the walls, sounding too loud for the fragile atmosphere Elsa has built.

Elsa's eyebrow quirks up and her mouth pulls down into a frown. No doubt bringing _that_ up was a bad idea, good job Anna. 

"I only came to show my… respect," Elsa says, tightly. "I would apologize for my abrupt leave that day but I had no intentions of staying longer than necessary."

Anna winces. She knows Elsa held negative feelings towards Hans even before his plans of attempted murder came to light. In retrospect, she can admit there were endless things to be suspicious about, concerning his character. The fact that he seemed to be somewhat knowledgeable of the members in her family should have been a big tip off, seeing as how her immediate family made it a point to keep themselves hidden from the public eye.

Their mother came from old money and their father had unwillingly inherited his family business after his older brother passed. Anna's parents weren't fond of being in the spotlight and the dangers that came with it, so they made sure to keep themselves away from the rest of the main family, only visiting a handful of times a year at their winter house. It was definitely isolating and it left Anna with a desperate desire to have someone really _know_ her. A long line of terrible choices in boyfriends was born from that.

Still, that doesn't mean Anna was _happy_ when Hans suddenly died. It was almost directly after her and her family found out about his secret intentions, and Anna, even through her depression, thought it was strange. She remembers overhearing Elsa tell her parents it was like any regular car accident and not to be worried. She never brought it up.

"Anyways," Elsa starts, apparently done with the topic of conversation, "I'll show you to your room."

It's almost like Elsa's forgotten this was once Anna's home too. Still, she follows her lead up the staircase, past the large portrait of their great grandmother that hangs high on the ceiling, and into the right wing of the house where the… master bedrooms are? Why is Elsa taking her there and not to the left, where the guest bedrooms reside? That's where Elsa and Anna always stayed prior, although since Elsa is technically the new owner of the house it makes sense she would take one of the master bedrooms. It doesn't explain why Anna should, though.

"Um, Elsa? Why are you taking me to the master bedrooms? Aren't I a guest?"

Elsa doesn't stop walking, keeping her gaze in front of her. Her voice is small when she responds.

"I just thought… since you're staying here for a while you would be more comfortable there. It's larger. Plus, we would be closer so… I mean, unless you don't want to. You can always stay elsewhere."

"No, no! It's fine," Anna reassures her, not wanting to sound ungrateful. "I just didn't think…" She doesn't know how to say: _'I didn't think you would want me close'._

Elsa looks at her from the corner of her eye, gaze softer than Anna has ever seen it before. She can feel her face warming up and looks to the side to avoid embarrassing herself further. God, it's so hard when Elsa just _does_ stuff like that.

When they reach the private hall that separates the two master bedrooms, Elsa clears her throat and looks at her for a moment.

"I, ah." Elsa clears her throat again. There's colour to her face, Anna notes in surprise. "I've actually done some preparing for your arrival to make it more welcoming. I know— I hope you like it." Elsa opens the door and Anna's eyes go wide.

In contrast to the rest of the house, the private hall is coloured in a vibrant golden yellow. There's an array of sunflower paintings that line the walls, everything from oil to watercolour. She takes it all in, seeing happiness in each brush stroke; she loves how beautifully loud it is.

She finds she recognizes a few of the artists. The others are new to her, but she quickly takes to their own unique style.

"I thought you would appreciate new blood," Elsa says beside her, gaze heavy on Anna.

"Um— yeah!" Anna almost shouts. "I love it. Thank you…"

She's really at a loss for words. Elsa did… this. For her. It seems crazy because it's been _years_ , and the last time they spoke it was formal and stiff. Now… Anna sees Elsa _trying_ and that's more than she could ever wish. She sees sunflowers growing on walls and pale cheeks turning pink.

She sees hope in that.

"It's no trouble," Elsa says. "Have you eaten yet? I don't really know how to cook but I'm sure I could figure something out."

Anna's eyebrows raise at that. She assumed Elsa had a live-in chef, but apparently not. She guesses Elsa's been a lot more alone than she first thought. Now that she thinks about it, she can't remember seeing anyone besides the chauffeur.

"No, I'm okay. I had something earlier," Anna says, purposely not mentioning the terrible anxiety induced stomach issues and resulting gas she had on the plane. "But, I thought you had help here?"

"I actually have an apartment in the city. It's closer to work. I only use this place for company parties, like the upcoming one this Christmas."

Anna nods, carefully choosing to keep her opinions about that to herself. She doesn't agree with Elsa basically cutting herself off from them, even though she's sure Elsa has her own reasons for doing so. It just seems so… lonely. Anna can't understand it, but now isn't the time to fight with her on this, not when things might be looking up.

"Well then, I guess… I'll leave you to get settled in. Good night," Elsa says, looking a little like she wants to stay something more but doesn't know how. She takes a step toward Anna and then stops, instead nodding her head at her and turning around to make her way to the bedroom on the left.

Wait… That must mean…

After stumbling out a good night back and catching Elsa's small smile as she slips into her room, Anna walks toward her own bedroom. Her _Grandmother's_ bedroom. The only other person besides Elsa and their parents that Anna felt truly close to.

She lightly touches the wood of the door, thinking back to all the times she used to knock on it until it opened up to soft wrinkles and a bright smile. Anna does it now, even though she knows no one will answer. She opens it herself and the smell of fresh sunflowers greets her instead of old perfume.

That night, while laying in bed surrounded by her grandmother's presence and bundles of sunflowers, Anna types out a response to her mother's text.

_I promise I'll try my hardest._

* * *

Elsa is the definition of hot and cold.

That's all Anna can think about as she skims through the bookshelves in Elsa's study, eyes half the time on the books themselves, half the time on the other ever silent occupant in the room. She glances at Elsa now, head practically buried in whatever document is so important, reading glasses slipping from her nose every now and then. If Anna wasn't so frustrated she would find it cute.

…Maybe she still finds it cute.

Anna grumbles to herself, now annoyed at both herself and Elsa. Not that Elsa would care much, seeing as how she's successfully avoided Anna for the entire day and had no qualms with doing so. Unfortunately for Elsa, Anna had eventually found her. She has a workaholic for a sister, honestly it was a dead giveaway.

After finally choosing a book to read, Anna throws herself down on the plush loveseat in front of Elsa's desk, sighing dramatically.

"Anna," Elsa says without looking up, "please be quiet. I'm working."

It's a good thing Elsa reminded her. Anna almost forgot about the dozens of pages and documents and other 'important things' scattered over the large wooden desk.

"Y'know," Anna starts, "this is supposed to be a sort of 'rekindling a sibling relationship' trip. Not a _business_ trip." And to hit the point home, "Mom said."

Elsa just sighs, like it's _Anna_ who doesn't understand and it's a bother to explain. She hates it when Elsa does this. It makes Anna feel dismissed, like she's too naïve in the ways of the world, like she doesn't belong by Elsa's side.

"I know exactly what this trip is, Anna, but I have obligations. People that need and count on me to do my job. Besides, father gave me permission."

"Can't you do this some other time though? There has to be other people who can take over in your place. I just want to spend time with you."

But Elsa isn't listening, and just like that, Anna's been pushed to the side again. She fights to keep her emotions in check, not wanting to lash out or probe at Elsa until she kicks her out of the study. She promised mother she would try and try she will. She just has to think of this as another challenge. Anna has never backed away from one before and she won't start now.

With that in mind, Anna comes up with a plan. She gets up from the loveseat and moves over to the large window behind Elsa instead, taking a seat in one of the chairs that frame it. She flips through the book she'd picked up before, yellowing pages carrying the soft scent of age, and picks a poem to read out loud.

It takes a while of ignoring the scratch of Elsa's fountain pen and occasional tapping against wood, but eventually Anna can see Elsa's shoulders loosening and her head drifting to the side. Eventually…

_"And their feet move,_

_Rhythmically, as tender_

_feet of Cretan girls_

_danced once around an_

_altar of love—"_

_"Crushing a circle in the soft smooth flowering grass,"_ Elsa finishes, turning her head to look back at Anna. "She loved Sappho."

"Yeah," Anna says, trying to memorize the delicate way Elsa had spoken those words. "Remember how she always used to read it to us as kids? I never knew what she was talking about, but I liked the sound of her voice."

Elsa snuffs out a laugh, catching it behind her fist. "She was a remarkable and elegant woman. Very eloquent. It's not your fault you couldn't keep up."

"Hey! I am plenty eloquent!"

"You are not."

"Are too!"

"Are _not_."

"Are _too!_ "

"Okay," Elsa says, turning around fully; attention on her, _fully_. "Prove it then. Read me more poems."

And, well, a challenge is a challenge, even when it's clearly not one at all. Anna settles deeper into the soft cushions and grabs a throw blanket from a nearby basket. She skims through the pages until she finds one of her favourites, one of their grandmother's favourites.

Elsa never ends up finishing those papers but Anna thinks she doesn't seem to mind too much, not when she's looking at her with those deep blue eyes of hers, holding onto every word that escapes her lips.

She feels cherished.

* * *

Ever so slowly, they fall into a routine.

The first half of the day they spend separately, solely because Elsa rises with the sun and Anna can sleep until noon. Once Anna is awake enough, she sets to reacquainting herself with the house, exploring all the places she remembers and discovering others she forgot about. It provides her with enough entertainment to last a solid week because of the sheer size of the house.

In the evening, she'll make some tea and whip up something sweet for the both of them to share in Elsa's study. Anna will mainly spend her time silently reading poetry in Elsa's company, but as the day goes on and the sky becomes more orange, she'll choose a poem to read out loud simply to engage Elsa in something other than business. It works for the most part and it always gives Anna warm fuzzies when they finish each other's sentences.

The only issue Anna has with this routine is that… she gets bored after a while. She's never stayed at their winter house for more than a few days at a time, and now after two weeks, things have gotten a bit repetitive. She tells Elsa as such.

"Hm… Do you still enjoy painting?" Elsa says one day, over tea and fruit cake in the conservatory. She has one hand on those dreaded papers and another on an unused chess piece. "I can order you some supplies if you would like."

"Painting?" Anna's rusty, she hasn't done it for a while now, but it would give her something to practice on and she would even have pretty paintings to show for it. Maybe Elsa would let her hang some up? "Yeah, that would be awesome! Thank you, Elsa!"

"It's no problem."

"I can go outside and paint the fountain out in front because it's always _really_ pretty this time of year and, oh—! I saw a rabbit hole the other day, maybe if I'm quiet enough I can paint them when they come out. But, oh, I don't know if I can stay out that long and _not_ freeze, and hey! Are you listening to me, Elsa?"

"I am." Elsa's reading over something on the papers in her hand and she's still holding that chess piece. It's been her turn for like five minutes now.

"You're _so_ not."

"I am. Look, I just captured your bishop," Elsa says, knocking the piece over and taking it. Anna stops, opens her mouth, closes it. "You should pay better attention."

" _That's—!_ Okay… fine. You're on. They don't call me the Chess Master for nothing!"

"Actually," corrects Elsa, "only you call yourself that. Also, you only 'win' all the time because you play against yourself."

Anna glares at her. "That's not very nice to say to the Chess Master."

Elsa snorts at that, her nose scrunching up cutely and _oh_ , there goes that little pitter patter of Anna's heart. She pushes that feeling down, down, down, deep into places she can't reach; it's a habit by now.

At the end of their five games, Anna still reigns as Chess Master. Elsa doesn't seem to mind, but Anna goads her on until she agrees to another match, just for the fun of it.

* * *

It takes two days for the paint supplies to show up and when they do, Anna immediately bundles herself in her coat and mittens, feeling like a child again. She takes to the outdoors and even though her skin feels like ice, she finds a little quiet spot on their property to sit and paint.

Later that day she spies Elsa looking at the new addition to her study, a little 8" by 10" painting of a single sunflower surrounded by blankets of crystal-like snow. When Elsa's fingers go to trace the signature at the bottom, Anna's stomach breaks out in butterflies again.

This feels like trouble. Anna's always been so bad at staying away from it.

* * *

_"I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream. I know you, that look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam—"_

"Isn't love at first sight beautiful?" Anna whispers to Elsa from her side of the couch, snuggled underneath dozens of the softest blankets and looking like a burrito. "It's like magic."

"It's _stupid_ ," Elsa says, wrapped up in her own set of blankets on the other side of the couch. Anna can barely see Elsa's eyes glaring at the television screen, she's so covered. "They met once before and that was when they were children."

Anna reaches out a hand from her little fort to pass the popcorn bowl over to Elsa, licking her buttery fingers with a giggle. Elsa can be _so_ traditional. Sure, Anna admits she, herself, is the furthest thing from a real life fairy tale, but she's got spirit and a whole lot of faith, and isn't that what counts? As long as she stays wishing for prince charmings, she'll get one, right?

It's better than wishing for the princess, anyway.

"Sometimes it's not about knowing someone, but _knowing_ someone. You get me?" Elsa looks at her in a way that implies she very much doesn't. "It's like… that feeling you get when you first look at them. You have no idea who they are but at the same time you do and you know you're meant to be. Like soulmates!"

"That's called infatuation—"

"That's called _true love_!"

Anna jumps off the couch, sending her hoard of blankets and pillows to the ground. She dances along with Aurora on the screen, the whimsical sound of her voice filling the otherwise quiet living room. Elsa looks up at her with a raised eyebrow, somehow still looking dignified even with her hair finally pulled down and Anna's Gucci rose robe tied around her waist. She looks relaxed, less like the unapproachable business woman Anna is sure she is at the office, and more like the sister Anna remembers.

If acting like a fool causes this side of Elsa to come out, Anna will gladly give up her cushy life for one at the circus.

"I think the wine has finally gotten to you," Elsa teases, pointing to the empty wine bottle and numerous glasses littering the side table. "Maybe we should cut you off."

Anna gasps like that would mean the end of the world, and maybe it really would, because she truly feels like right now the world just boils down to the dazed, lazy look in Elsa's eyes. It sets her on fire; makes her act stupid, more stupid.

"No, you can't— can't take away my happiness! I won't let you!"

In a failed attempt to catch Elsa off guard, Anna flings herself, fuzzy bunny slippers and all, into Elsa's lap. She lands in a heap into Elsa's arms, drunken giggles spilling from her lips even as she curses Elsa for having way too much experience in catching her. Elsa just looks at her fondly and rolls her up into a little burrito, positioning her so that Anna is sitting sideways in her lap.

For a minute, neither Anna nor Elsa say anything at all, attention half on the movie, half on each other. Anna's face is feeling warm from more than just the alcohol, and when she finally looks at Elsa, she just keeps her eyes there, taking in every fragile detail and burning it into her brain. She wants to memorize the way her platinum blonde hair spills down her shoulders, how her eyes contain all the stars in the galaxy, how the wine makes her lips loose and soft.

She wants to keep this warmth locked inside her mind for safe keeping. Just in case.

"So… does that mean you don't believe in true love? Or… you've never felt that way before?" Anna says, feeling the tipsiness Elsa was referring to.

Elsa doesn't say anything for a few moments, only looking at Anna in a way that makes her heart ache fiercely. She holds her gaze until it's too much to take.

"I know what it feels like," Elsa says slowly, like she's trying to figure out what exactly she wants to say. "That also means I know how dangerous it can be. Sometimes… it's not worth exploring."

Anna disagrees with that opinion _so much_ she doesn't even know where to start, and that means a lot considering her history of ex-boyfriends. She thinks even if it ends badly, even if it breaks her heart again and again, just the fact that there was a chance it could work out made everything worth it. Life is all about taking risks, sometimes you just gotta go for it if you want that happy ending.

But, Anna as she is right now doesn't know how to articulate all of this like how she wants to, so she just says, "It'll always be worth exploring."

"It's different with you, little sunflower. You're… you're everything that's good in the world. They don't know what they lost."

"I don't know about that. Sometimes I think I'm too naïve. Don't know how I didn't see that last one coming."

Elsa's look turns as sharp as a knife. "No, none of that was your fault. Don't _ever_ blame yourself for what Hans did to you."

"Mm. I guess," Anna says, not wanting to talk about _him_ of all people. "I just always wanted that prince charming, y'know? Is that too much to ask for?"

"No, it's not." Elsa looks vaguely uncomfortable, something sad far away in her eyes. "Don't mind me and my bitterness. If you want that, that's okay. I just want to see you happy."

Anna shrugs off the blankets wrapped around her so she can sit up properly in Elsa's lap, wanting to face her completely now. She places her hands gently on Elsa's cheeks, thumbing over the apples and under her eyes.

"You say that like I'm the only one who matters. Elsa, don't you get it? Anyone would be lucky to get the chance to love you. You're _beautiful_ in every single way."

There's a hitch in Elsa's breath, and Anna thinks if she listens hard enough she could hear both of their heartbeats pounding in rhythm together. Anna wets her lips, feeling hot all over when Elsa's eyes dart down to watch the movement. Anna feels like _fire_ from the way Elsa looks at her like she's hung the sun, the moon, and all the stars in the sky. Looks at her like—

"Elsa…"

Elsa pulls back and the moment breaks, and Anna sees it, sees how things could go and knows she _doesn't want that_. She brings Elsa back to her, fitting their hands together again and reaching for that special feeling they had a second ago.

"Please, please stay," Anna begs, quiet and fragile. "Don't go, stay with me here."

And maybe if Anna's wrong, if this is all wrong, she can later blame it on the wine and the loose lips for that maybe-could-be moment. She won't fight it if Elsa chooses to forget about it.

But right now, she squeezes Elsa's hands and doesn't say anything beyond those few words. And Elsa… stays. She relaxes around Anna's body, head falling onto her shoulder and breathing in deeply. Anna's hands come around to stroke up and down her back, thinking about risks and exploring places that scare her.

They don't end up talking about it but after that, Elsa sticks to her a little longer, looks at her a little differently. Anna refuses to think too deeply about it.

_Trouble,_ she's in so much trouble.

* * *

When Anna sees the giant tree in their foyer, the realization that Christmas is here hits her like a ton of bricks. Between Elsa's birthday and the blooming feelings she's just starting to examine, she had totally forgotten about her most favourite holiday of the year. In Anna's panic and excitement, Elsa had just told her not to worry and that she has everything under control.

And that's how Anna finds herself now, sipping champagne in her emerald evening dress, listening to the noise of the party-goers through the doors of the ballroom. She's been chatting with everyone all night as the main host of the company party. Elsa, a silent support behind her. She doesn't mind, Elsa's never been comfortable with being the centre of attention and for Anna, it's like a Christmas present itself. She loves meeting all the new people in Elsa's life, watching how they interact with her with such familiarity. 

It warms her heart. She knows Elsa's older than her and can take care of herself, but Anna still worries sometimes. It's nice to know Elsa has people who care about her.

"Tired?" Anna turns her head and sees Elsa exit the ballroom, clad in a white pantsuit and the little crystal brooch Anna gifted her for her birthday. "It's already twelve. Merry Christmas, sunflower."

"Merry Christmas, Elsa," Anna says back, hugging her Burberry coat tighter. She just wanted a little breather from the heat a bunch of people in one space brought. She forgot she wasn't dressed for the cold. "I can't believe it's this late. You think it's time to have everyone head home?"

"Yes. I'll say my goodbye's in a bit. First, I want a second of your attention."

Anna's lips split into a smile when Elsa reaches into her jacket pocket and pulls out two navy boxes, one small and the other long. Elsa hands her the little one first, waiting with impatient eyes for Anna to open it.

"Oh, Elsa…"

She opens the box with careful fingers, heart thumping wildly in her chest. Two little crystal sunflower earrings sit on the cushion, the gold of the petals gleaming brightly under the night sky.

"They're gorgeous… Elsa—"

"Hold on," Elsa interrupts, pushing the other box into her hands while taking the earrings back, "there's this one too."

Anna can't wipe the grin off her face, eyes twinkling as she opens the next box just as carefully as the one before, butterflies fluttering when she sees the absolutely beautiful matching sunflower necklace. A large white stone sits in the middle of the flower, sparkling like the snow.

"Elsa this… I can't top this!" Anna wails, face burning.

"You don't need to. This is my gift to you. Now, turn around so I can put it on you."

Anna pulls her hair to the side, sucking in a breath when she feels Elsa's presence at her back, her hands cool and delicate against her neck. She shakes when Elsa closes the clasp and hopes to God that Elsa can't feel her trembles.

Anna slips the earrings already in her ears out, exchanging them for her new pair that Elsa hands her. She twists to the side to show them off.

"How do I look?"

"Beautiful," Elsa whispers, tucking a strand of Anna's hair behind her ear, looking like she wants to say something more and choosing not to.

It's that look that does her in, that reminds Anna of wine, Disney songs, and fragile moments.

Suddenly, everything feels way too much and not enough all at once. Elsa's touch burns her skin, almost as if blue flames are licking at the shell of her ear. She needs… she needs _this_ , needs this from Elsa, always. It's a beautiful, horrible, unmistakable realization that almost brings Anna to her knees. She knows now that no one else could ever compare to her, never fill that place in Anna's heart that spells out Elsa's name.

And Anna knows that maybe this is a terrible, no good idea but she can't ignore the way Elsa's looking at her, not again. Ever so slowly, because she doesn't want to scare Elsa away, Anna closes her hand around Elsa's, still cupping the side of her face. She pushes away the fear curling in her belly, choosing instead to keep her heart locked on chess matches and poetry while surging forward to press her lips against Elsa's.

She hopes that this time she's right.

Elsa's mouth falls slack against her own, but then she's pushing, and just like that Anna's falling, sinking, diving head first into this feeling called true love. Elsa cups the back of head to bring her closer, pressing butterfly kisses to the corners of her soft smile and whispering things she'd kept trapped in chests for years. Anna giggles into their kiss and knows they'll be alright, so long as they have each other, and isn't _that_ something you'd read in a fairy tale.

Sometimes… sometimes, she thinks true love isn't always about the first meeting, the instant dip in your stomach and flip of your heart; sometimes it's about the triumphs and the failures, the years spent growing alongside and apart from one another, and the slow, creeping feeling of belonging.

Sometimes it's about sunflowers and snow and being each other's forever.

**Author's Note:**

> Elsa doesn't know what to say when the icy blue wrapping comes off and reveals a pocket sized book, the buttery leather soft against her fingertips. She turns it around and traces over Anna's loopy cursive where she had written the names of handpicked poems and their poets. Underneath in a little font it says: I'll love you to the moon and back, snowflake.
> 
> "I wrote some of my own in there too," Anna says, chin hooked over Elsa's shoulder and watching with twinkling eyes. "It was hard at first but I just thought of you and the words came flowing out."
> 
> The pages are crisp when Elsa runs through them, spying bits and pieces of pressed sunflowers on some of the sheets, her throat feeling just as dry as the flowers themselves.
> 
> Anna understands when she can't seem to voice the words in her mind, and touches over Elsa's trembling hand from where it rests against petals and poems. Kiss bruised lips brush over Elsa's own, and the ice frozen on her skin turns into water.
> 
> She finally feels herself melt.


End file.
